Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
A compelling world of magic, power, and regret.
JUNE 2016 - AudioFile
Narrator Thérèse Plummer chooses an Irish accent for the character of Lilywhite, who is about to meet the Queen of Blood and Rage. The queen of the fey has been waging war on humans to avenge the loss of her daughter and heir. Plummer provides a convincing portrait of the queen, who speaks in a tone meant to wither those dare to disagree. Other than Lily, the members of the seven black diamonds speak with a mixture of nondescript accents. Plummer’s general tone of expectation creates an atmosphere of mild suspense. She reflects the bond of friendship and camaraderie among the black diamonds. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
01/04/2016
Half human, half fae Lilywhite Abernathy is the daughter of one of the most powerful crime lords in the world, and although Lily has grown up sheltered, she is more than able to take care of herself. Having any fae blood means automatic imprisonment outside of the Hidden Lands, so her father has always taken pains to hide her heritage. After Lily’s 17th birthday, she is sent to the exclusive St. Columba’s school, where she finds out that she is the final member of the Black Diamonds—a sleeper cell of seven, each with different magical “affinities”—put in place by the Queen of Blood and Rage to rid the world of the humans who have destroyed it and slaughtered their people. Marr spends a great deal of time setting up the premise, yet the larger world, irreparably ravaged by human folly, is only lightly sketched. While fans of Marr’s Wicked Lovely books will appreciate her melding of ancient faerie lore with complex contemporary characters, those expecting exciting action scenes may be disappointed, and revelations about Lily hold few surprises. Ages 13–up. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House. (Mar.)
Booklist
Marr’s trademark use of suspense and romance will make this irresistible for her legions of fans.
Hank Phillippi Ryan
Seductively creepy, disturbingly realistic, and intensely suspenseful. This sinister tale of twisted teenage love and obsession will pull you in from the first pageand haunt you long after you close the last one.
Suzanne Brockmann
A must-read for all fans of romantic thrillers.
Lisa Gardner
A smart, sassy thriller! Melissa Marr shows off her killer instincts in this sensational tale of a southern debutante’s scary ability to foresee death, and the man who’d like to end it, permanently.
Charlaine Harris
No one builds worlds like Melissa Marr.
School Library Journal
12/01/2015
Gr 9 Up—Contemporary issues are woven into a futuristic story in this exciting urban fantasy. Eilidh is a faery princess in a world at war. Her mother, the Queen of Blood and Rage, declared war on humans many years ago. In response, anyone containing even a drop of faery blood was banished to the Hidden Realms. Humans have nearly ruined the natural world with their horrible environmental policies, while the faeries have sustained a brutal terrorist campaign. The seven black diamonds are "sleepers," carefully bred humans with faery blood, brought up in human families in preparation for future service to the Queen. Abernathy is unaware that she is one of those seven black diamonds. As she discovers more about her role in the faery kingdom, Eilidh struggles to find a way to leave a legacy apart from her mother's endless war. As their story lines begin to connect, secrets are revealed and surprising coalitions are formed in the effort to bridge the divide between faery and human. Once again, Marr has built an urban fantasy world that readers will find irresistible. The contemporary issues brought up throughout the book are not always dealt with in the most elegant way; however, readers will find that the realistic dialogue and teen emotions make it easy to relate to the characters, both human and faery. Several romantic relationships develop, which adds levity to the nonstop action of this violent tale. VERDICT Recommended as a first purchase.—Sunnie Scarpa, Wallingford Public Library, CT